Fresh start dog training and agility club

30/07/2026

The girls did it again today. ❤️

I couldn’t be prouder of them. They both worked their hearts out, gave me everything they had, and were an absolute pleasure to run.

But my favourite moment of the day wasn’t actually in the ring…

Just look at this. 👇

This afternoon, while waiting for her turn, Trixie chose to lie down and relax under the gazebo. Anyone who knows young, driven dogs will know just how big a deal that is. Being able to switch off in a busy, exciting environment is every bit as important as being able to switch on when it’s your turn.

Safe to say I had one very, very tired puppy by the end of the day. 🥰

Sometimes the biggest wins aren’t the ones that earn rosettes. They’re the quiet moments that show your training is paying off. 💜

29/07/2026

Day 1 of agility camp! 🐾

Trixie is quite happily sitting and watching all the other dogs while she waits for her first session. She loves taking everything in before it’s her turn, and it’s always interesting to watch her observing what’s going on around her.

If I look a little more tired than usual today, there’s a reason! Yesterday took an unexpected turn when Mum had to go into hospital for an emergency blood transfusion. Once it was finished, I had to take her home, and by the time I eventually got back myself it was around 3am. So today I’m running on about three hours’ sleep.

Thankfully Mum’s back home now, which is the important thing.

Lilly is having a well-earned rest in the van for now, while Trixie gets first go. Looking forward to seeing what the next few days bring. Wish us luck! 💜🐾

28/07/2026

I’ve been a little quieter than usual on here this week. I’ve had a lot on behind the scenes, so I definitely need to get a bit better at keeping up with my posts!

It’s also been a really busy week on the teaching front, which I’m incredibly grateful for. I managed to teach virtually all of my classes and one-to-one sessions, despite the warm weather. Over the weekend, I only had to reschedule one dog, and that wasn’t because it was exceptionally hot. He’s a dog who gets himself so excited that he can overheat quite quickly, so it was the right decision for him. Sometimes that’s just part of being fair to the individual dog, even if it means trying to squeeze clients into an already busy diary later on. Rescheduling sessions is never ideal, but the dogs’ welfare will always come first.

Away from teaching, I’ve been continuing to improve the training field. Last year the rabbits dug a number of holes, so I’ve been filling them in and reseeding the areas. My original plan was to leave the reseeding until later in the year, but the recent wind had other ideas! It was blowing the tops of the filled holes away, so getting some grass established has become the best way to help hold everything together and stop all that hard work disappearing again.

I’ve also been working on tidying and organising the parking area. It’s amazing how quickly bits and pieces accumulate over time, so I’m gradually clearing everything out and getting it ready for the next stage, when the gravel goes down. Every little job gets me one step closer to having the training venue exactly as I want it.

The video I’ve shared today is from a one-to-one agility session with a lovely little dog who has now reached session three of her seesaw training. One of the biggest misconceptions in agility is that success is about getting a dog to complete the equipment as quickly as possible. It isn’t.

For me, whether it’s the seesaw, the A-frame or any other piece of equipment, the priority is building confidence and creating value. I want the dogs to genuinely love what they’re doing. I want them to see the seesaw and think, “Brilliant! It’s the seesaw!” rather than worrying about the movement or the noise.

The reason so many of my clients tell me their dogs absolutely adore the A-frame isn’t because we’ve rushed to teach it. It’s because we’ve taken our time and built so much value into every repetition that running down the A-frame becomes one of the best games in the world.

The seesaw is exactly the same. Right now, I’m not interested in whether she can perform a full seesaw. I’m interested in her confidence with the movement, the noise, the bang at the end, and making sure every experience leaves her wanting to do it again.

That’s the difference between teaching a dog to do something… and teaching a dog to love doing it. ❤️

24/07/2026

The last couple of days have been really busy with clients, so today and tomorrow are my first proper days off in what feels like forever.

I’m genuinely looking forward to slowing down a little, although, as you can probably imagine, that will still involve plenty of jobs in the garden and on the field! 😂

Today’s mission is rabbit proofing. I finally found the one section of fencing I hadn’t wired properly and, unsurprisingly, that’s exactly where the rabbits have decided to move in. Once that’s sorted, I can fill all the burrows with topsoil and get another 20kg bag of grass seed down. Every little job gets us one step closer to having the field exactly how I want it.

Home life is a little… entertaining at the moment too. Trixie is right at the peak of her season, which means life with two entire boys has become rather chaotic.

Trixie’s actually been brilliant. She always gets a bit grumpy at the very start (a couple of handbags at dawn moments with her mum 🤦‍♀️), but she’s back to her happy little self now.

The boys, on the other hand…

Spudley’s been remarkably sensible, but poor Thor isn’t used to living with girls in season and has discovered that whining is apparently his new favourite hobby. This morning I thought I’d done everything right. The boys had a run around while Trixie stayed safely out of the way, then I put them in their crates in the van so they could enjoy the cool morning air while I nipped inside to grab something. Less than a minute later I came back out to the two boys having a full-on shouting match through the bars of their crates.

Honestly… boys. 🙄😂

Thankfully, it should only be another few days before normal service resumes.

For now, I’m going to enjoy a quieter couple of days, get a few jobs ticked off, hopefully dodge too much of the forecast rain, and recharge before another busy week.

Days like this remind me that no matter how much experience you have, dogs are still dogs. They don’t read the rule book, they keep you on your toes, and they certainly make life interesting!

Pictured here is one of my gorgeous new clients, who was an absolute superstar this week. Isn’t he beautiful? 🥰

22/07/2026

One of the loveliest things about my job is getting to meet families who genuinely put their dog’s welfare first. ❤️

Last week I met this gorgeous young lad, and I have to say, he was probably one of the calmest, most content puppies I’ve met in a long time.

What might surprise some people is that he doesn’t live in the house.

He has his own purpose-built kennel in the garden. It’s positioned so it stays cool in the summer, has air conditioning when it’s hot, heating for the winter, plenty of space, and a family who absolutely adore him.

Watching him happily snoozing like this made me think about how quick we can sometimes be to judge other people’s choices.

It’s easy to assume that if a dog lives outside, they must be neglected.

But welfare isn’t about whether a dog sleeps in your bedroom, on your sofa, or in a kennel.

It’s about whether that dog’s physical and emotional needs are being met.

Does the dog feel safe?

Is it comfortable?

Does it have appropriate shelter?

Is it getting companionship, training, enrichment, exercise and veterinary care?

Is it living a life where it feels secure?

Those are the questions that matter.

There are wonderful dogs who sleep on expensive sofas but spend their lives anxious and overwhelmed. Equally, there are dogs who sleep outside in thoughtfully designed accommodation, surrounded by people who love them deeply and provide everything they need.

As dog owners, we’ll all make different choices. We don’t all have the same homes, lifestyles or routines.

Before judging someone else’s decisions, it’s worth asking whether the dog itself is thriving.

Because that’s what matters.

And this handsome boy? I think he has life pretty well worked out. ❤️

22/07/2026

Yesterday was one of those days where I blinked and suddenly it was bedtime.
I was out working in the field in the morning, then from about one o'clock until I got home at around nine o'clock I was either with clients or teaching classes. By the time I'd eaten and sat down, I just didn't have the energy to write a post.
This morning has been a little bit different though.
I've spent the morning working on two things that have been floating around in my head for a very long time.
The first is that I've finally started writing a book.
I don't know how long it's going to take, and I honestly don't know exactly what the finished book is going to look like yet. I just know that I finally feel ready to start.
One thing people often don't realise about me is that, although I can seem quite decisive, I'm actually not.
When I decided to become a police officer, I'd thought about it for ages. When I became a dog trainer, I'd spent years thinking about it. Most of the big decisions in my life have been exactly the same. I don't tend to jump into things. I think... and think... and think some more until eventually everything clicks into place. Then I move.
This book has been like that. The ideas have been quietly growing in my head for years, helped along by every dog I've worked with and every owner I've met. It feels like I've finally reached the point where I know what I actually want to say.
The other thing I've started today is putting together an online course.
That's something else I've wanted to do for ages, because so many people contact me from all over the country, and sometimes even from other countries, wanting help. Obviously they can't always travel to Northamptonshire, so I've wanted to find a way of sharing the way I teach with people wherever they live.
So that's been my morning.
My brain now feels completely frazzled from staring at a computer screen, but in a good way.
I've got another full day ahead, clients this morning, a bit of time in the field later, then more clients this afternoon and evening.
And, as you can see, Lilly has been doing an excellent job as my body double this morning. ❤️ She and Trixie have spent the morning making sure I didn't work alone. I'm not convinced they contributed many ideas, but moral support definitely counts!
Sometimes the biggest projects don't start with a huge announcement. Sometimes they just start with opening a blank document and finally typing the first sentence.

20/07/2026

This is genuinely one of the best pieces of news I’ve seen in a long time. 👏🎆🐾

If these proposals become law, they could be absolutely game changing for so many dogs and their owners.

Every year I work with families whose dogs are terrified of fireworks. Dogs that spend hours shaking, panting, hiding, trying to escape, refusing food, or simply living in fear because someone decided to let off extremely loud fireworks in their back garden on a random Tuesday evening.

I want to be clear, I’m not against fireworks.

Bonfire Night? Absolutely. New Year’s Eve? Of course. They’re dates we know are coming. As dog owners, we can prepare. We can stay somewhere quieter if we need to, bring our dogs indoors, close the curtains, put calming music on, get out the enrichment toys and simply be there to help them through it.

It’s the unpredictability that’s the real problem.

When someone decides to let off a barrage of fireworks on a random evening, just as your dog’s gone outside for their last wee before bed, there’s no opportunity to prepare. For some dogs, that one experience can set their confidence back enormously.

Restricting the loudest fireworks to organised displays feels like a really sensible compromise. People can still enjoy spectacular celebrations, but it removes the most disruptive fireworks from residential areas where they can have such a huge impact on dogs, horses, wildlife, veterans and many other people.

As a dog trainer, I’ve seen first hand how debilitating noise fears can become. Anything that reduces unnecessary fear and stress for our dogs has to be a step in the right direction.

I really hope these proposals become reality.

What do you think? Would this make a difference for your dog?

Huge news for anyone who loves peace and quiet, or has a furry friend at home 🎆🐕

The Government has announced new proposals to crack down on those unpredictable, extremely loud fireworks that disrupt our neighbourhoods.

The new plans aim to restrict the loudest fireworks to professional displays only.

This means you can still enjoy your favourite organised community events safely, but it takes the loudest, most disruptive fireworks out of the wrong hands 🚫👏

19/07/2026

It’s been an absolutely awesome day today. 😊

I managed a full day of work, puppy classes this morning until lunchtime, followed by some really fun and wonderful clients this afternoon, including a brand new family.

I always find that first session with a new family really interesting because you never quite know what to expect. But I have to say, they were brilliant. Every single member of the family was genuinely invested in helping their dog become the very best dog he can be and giving him the best life possible. Those are exactly the kind of people I love working with, and I came away feeling completely rejuvenated.

It’s a real shame I didn’t get any footage from this morning’s classes because everyone did so well. There were so many lovely training moments that I’d have loved to share with you. The standard of training today has genuinely been outstanding, and it’s days like this that remind me why I love what I do.

Then, just to make the day even better, I received this photo from one of my amazing clients.

This gorgeous boy came to them as a rescue. He was skin and bones, frightened of the world and everyone in it. One of his biggest struggles was standing on sentry duty by the garden wall, barking at every person who walked past, constantly on alert and unable to switch off.

Today I was sent this photograph of him fast asleep, peacefully relaxing in the garden. Yes, he’s still near the wall, but he’s no longer feeling the need to patrol it every second of the day.

Two months ago, none of us could have imagined this.

This hasn’t happened because of a magic wand or a quick fix. It’s happened because his family have put in the work, day after day, giving him consistency, patience and understanding.

I’m incredibly proud of them all.

Days like today leave me feeling very grateful that I get to do this for a living. ❤️🐾

18/07/2026

One of the things that brings me an enormous amount of joy is growing my own vegetables. 🌱

Every morning I wander around the garden to see what’s changed overnight, and it genuinely makes me smile. I’ve now got tiny little green peppers growing, tomatoes are starting to develop, the chillies are coming along nicely, and although my aubergines haven’t quite got going yet, I’m keeping everything crossed!

There’s something so satisfying about watching these little plants grow day by day. It’s not about saving money or growing huge crops (although that would be nice!); it’s just the simple pleasure of seeing something you’ve looked after thrive.

Today felt like a proper British summer’s day too. Warm enough to enjoy being outside, but not the ridiculous temperatures we’ve had recently. I actually managed to teach every single one of my clients without having to reschedule anyone because of the heat, which made a lovely change.

Sometimes it’s the little things that make the biggest difference. A day spent helping people with their dogs, coming home to vegetables that are happily growing, and weather that lets everyone enjoy being outside… I’ll happily take more days like this. 💚

Has anyone else been growing anything this year? I’d love to see what you’ve got!

17/07/2026

Two months. That’s how long this little job has been hanging over me… and today it’s finally finished! 🥳🚐🐾

Most of you know that I had to replace my old van a couple of months ago after my poor girl finally gave up. She wasn’t a van I absolutely loved, but she was a real workhorse. She never really let me down until the very end and worked incredibly hard for me over the years.

My new van is a Citroën, and I absolutely love her. I’ve always loved driving Citroëns. I don’t know what it is about them, but they just make me happy.

The only problem was that none of my old dog setup really fitted.

I simply can’t justify the cost of having another bespoke cage system built just yet, so I decided I’d make it work myself instead.

It wasn’t something I wanted to rush. Thor very kindly destroyed his airline crate (I still have absolutely no idea how he managed that! 🙈), so everything had to be moved around. I also wanted to spend a few weeks seeing what actually worked best for the dogs before fixing everything in place.

One thing that became really obvious with this hot weather was that I didn’t want Trixie travelling right up at the top of the van anymore. Having all the dogs lower down means I can cool them all with the fan more easily, and because hot air rises, they’re all in a cooler part of the van too.

So today, while it was warm enough to work outside but not unbearably hot, I finally got stuck in.

The cages are where I want them.

Everything has its own place.

And… I finally have a bed! 😍

I’ve wanted this for such a long time. Not because I want to live in a van, but because it opens up so many possibilities.

Weekend agility shows become much easier. I can drive up on the Friday, compete over the weekend and stay in the van without having to pitch a whole tent.

But there’s another dream too…

One day I’d love to load the dogs into the van, put up a little drive away awning and spend a couple of weeks just travelling around Europe together. I don’t know whether that’ll be next year, in two years’ time or even five years’ time, but it’s something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time.

Today feels like the first proper step towards making that happen.

I even climbed in for an hour this afternoon to test it out! 😂 I think the only thing it really needs now is a memory foam mattress, and it’ll be pretty much perfect.

The real test will be in September when I’m away judging at a show. That’ll be its first proper overnight trip, and I’m sure I’ll come home with a list of little tweaks to make.

But for now… she’s packed, organised, comfortable, the dogs have got a setup I’m really happy with, and we’re finally ready for adventures.

Sometimes it’s the jobs that sit on your to do list for weeks that end up being the most satisfying when you finally tick them off. ❤️🚐🐾